This invention relates generally to injection molding and more particularly to a multi-cavity injection molding system wherein several heated nozzles are mounted along the side surface of an elongated manifold to convey melt to a cavity through a number of spaced gates.
In order to mold large parts using very high injection pressure, it is well known to supply melt through a number of heated nozzles, each aligned with a different gate. However when the cavity is non-linear, it is difficult to mount the different nozzles so they are all properly aligned with the respective gates. An earlier solution to this problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,689 to Schmidt et al. which issued October 1987. U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,184 to Gellert et al. which issued Mar. 7, 1989 shows heated nozzles being bolted to the side surface of the manifold U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,795 to Schmidt et al. which issued Dec. 27, 1988 shows an arrangement for clamping the nozzles in desired positions along the side surface of the manifold. While the systems described in these previous patents each provide significant improvements, there still is a problem in that it remains difficult to quickly set up the system with each of the nozzles accurately aligned with its respective gate. Also, in these previous systems, the nozzles can only be positioned with a particular angular orientation in a single phase. A different clamping arrangement for mounting an actuating mechanism on a nozzle is shown in the applicant's Canadian patent application Ser. No. 592,346 filed Feb. 28, 1989 entitled "Injection Molding Nozzle with Self-Supporting Actuating Mechanism."